Forging apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces in which the workpieces are moved by a manipulator within the vacuum chamber from a loading chamber to a preheat chamber and to the forging press, such that the workpiece remains in a vacuum from the beginning of the preheat until the completion of the forging operation and the cooling of the workpiece.

United States Patent 1 1 King, Jr. et a1.

1 1 FORGING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Robert E. King, Jr., West Willington; Clifford B. Turner, East Hampton, both of Conn.

[73] Assignee: United Aircraft Corporation, East Hartford. Conn.

22 Filed: July 17,1974

211 Appl.N0.:489,288

[52] US. Cl. .1 72/38; 72/342; 72/364 [51] Int. Cl. B2Ij l/06; B2lj 13/10, B21j 17/00 [58] Field of Search 72/37, 38, 342, 364, 421;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,449,365 9/1948 Bober et a1. 219/75 2,944,500 7/1960 Raynes............. 72/342 3,069,535 12/1962 Vickers t 72/37 3,350,906 11/1967 Levinson et a1. 72/37 1 July 8,1975

3,633,649 l/l972 Pori et al, 164/65 3,698,219 10/1972 Moore et al. 72/38 3,720,805 3/1973 Fitzgerald 219/152 3,831,425 8/1974 Kita 72/421 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,598,224 8/1970 France 1. 72/364 Primary Examiner-C. W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-E. M. Combs Attorney, Agent, or FirmCharles A. Warren [5 7] ABSTRACT Apparatus for a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces in which the workpieces are moved by a manipulator within the vacuum chamber from a loading chamber to a preheat chamber and to the forging press, such that the workpiece remains in a vacuum from the beginning of the preheat until the completion of the forging operation and the cooling of the workpiece.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PMEM FnJUL 8 1925 SHEET 1 FORGING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In production equipment for vacuum forging it is customary to position the workpiece in the forging press and then draw the necessary vacuum in the chamber surrounding the press and simultaneously heat the workpiece ready for forging. This technique requires a long time for each forging cycle since the press is inoperative during the heating of the workpiece and the creation of a vacuum around the press. This technique has been essential since many of the alloys to be forged are subject to rapid oxidation if heated in air so the heating cannot be done outside the forging chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention a manipulator for moving a workpiece is associated with the forging press in combination with a loading chamber having pressure locks so that a workpiece may be placed in or removed from the vacuum chamber, and one or more preheat chambers forming a part of the vacuum chamber so that the workpiece may be heated in the preheat area of the vacuum chamber and then transferred to the forging dies where the forging occurs while still in the vacuum chamber. The Manipulator serves to move the workpiece from place to place in the vacuum chamber and thus the workpiece is carried from loading area to preheat chamber to forging press and then, after the forging operation, removed from the press and returned to the loading chamber.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the carriage for the conveyor for the workpiece clamp.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus includes a forging press including upper and lower dies and 12, the latter being mounted on a base 14 and the former on a plunger 16 vertically movable by a hydraulic mechanism 18. The mechanism 18 is mounted on uprights 20 extending from the base. The press is enclosed in a vacuum chamber 22 having side walls 24 and 26, end walls 28 and 30 and a top wall 32 through which the plunger 16 is slidable. The end wall 28 has a door 34 thereon for access to the press as for replacement of the dies. This general type of press is described in Moore U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,2l9.

The other end wall 30 has an opening 36 therein communicating with an elongated vacuum chamber 38 forming a part of the vacuum system. This chamber 38 has end walls 40 and 42, the latter having an access door 44. The chamber has top and bottom walls 46 and 48 and side walls 50 and 52. Side vacuum chambers 54, 56, 58 and 60 are mounted on these side walls as shown.

Vacuum chamber 54 is a loading chamber by which workpieces may be moved in or out of the vacuum chamber system. A vacuum gate 62 (FIG. 3) may close off the opening from chamber 54 into chamber 38 so that the vacuum in chamber 54 may be released without affecting the vacuum in the rest of the system. This loading chamber-54 also has a door 64 at the other end for access to this chamber when the vacuum has been released. A slide 66 in this chamber is movable laterally on guides 68 into the middle of the elongated vacuum chamber as shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3. This slide is adapted to carry a workpiece thereon from the loading chamber through gate 62 when open, into a position to be transferred within chamber 38.

Vacuum chambers 56, 58 and 60 are preheat furnaces and are positioned on the side walls of and open to the elongated chamber 38. Each preheat furnace has a slide 70, movable on guides 72 in much the same manner as slide 66. Each furnace has preheat means thereon such as a box 73 having heating coils 74 positioned in the walls in such a way as to heat the workpiece when supported on the slide in the furnace. The arrangement shown has three preheat furnaces although more may be used if needed.

The slides form the bottom walls of the heating boxes 73 and each box 73 has a vertically sliding door 76 to fully enclose the workpiece in the box during the heating operation thereon. Each sliding door 76 is actuated through an air motor 78 mounted above the chamber. t

The vacuum gate 62 is moved by an air motor 80 in the form of a cylinder and piston. Slide 66 is actuated by a similar air motor 82. The controls for all of these motors are external to the vacuum chamber as are the motors.

Positioned within the chamber 38 is a guide rail 84 on which a carriage 86 is guided. The carriage 86 has rollers 88 riding on the rail and is actuated by a chain drive 89 over sprockets 90 and 91 at opposite ends of the rail. The drive is from an electric motor 92 outside the chamber with'its drive shaft connected by a chain 93 to a shaft 94 extending into the chamber and carrying the sprocket 90. The motor is reversible and can be driven to move the carriage to any desired position.

The carriage has a workpiece clamp having spaced jaws and I02pivoted on the carriage for movement toward and away from each other. The jaws have links 104 thereon connected to the piston rod 106 of an air motor 108 by which the jaws are actuated. This motor is powered by argon supplied through hoses 110 through the Wall of the chamber. A valve 112 controls the supply of argon to the opposite ends of the cylinder.

The jaws have two pairs of spaced workpiece engaging elements 114 and 116. The pair of jaws 114 are adapted to engage the billet or workpiece W when it is presented to the jaws by the slide 66 or by any of the slides 70. The other pair of jaws 116 are wider apart and will accept and engage the finished workpiece after the forging operation between the dies. In the forging operation the relatively long cylinder (the billet) is swaged into a relatively flat disk so that the two sets of jaws are necessary.

The jaws 100 are pivoted on spaced pins 118 on the carriage and the jaws thus move uniformly together to carry the work engaging elements 114 into contact with an ingot as shown in FIG. I by the movement of the actuating rod 106. Release of the ingot is effected by reverse movement of the rod. As shown in FIG. 4 the rod 106 is connected through a link 120 to a rod 122 directly connected at its left end to the links 104.

For precise location .of the ingot on the die 12 the carriage may be moved laterally when in the forward or left-hand position shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. I. To do this, the left end of the rail 84 is supported by a link 124 from the top of the chamber 38 and this link gives a measure of lateral freedom of the rail. A laterally extending threaded rod 126 on the rail is connected by a rod and yoke 127 to the rail 84 and the rod is engaged by a nut not shown in a motor housing 128. Actuation of this motor will move the left end of the rail and thus move the carriage and jaws laterally.

The jaws may also be moved vertically to position the ingot in position or to place the jaws in a position to engage the finished workpiece. To'this end, the link 124 is connected to a threaded rod 130 forming part of a motor driven jack 132;Actuation of this motor will raise or lower the end of the rail and thus raise or lower the location of the jaw engaging elements.

The stopping and starting of the several motors may be automated. The present invention contemplates the manual control of the several motors through electronically actuated valves or switches under the control of an operator who will be ableto see the location of the ingot and workpiece and the position of the jaws with respect thereto through suitable inspection windows in the walls of the chambers. Such controls are common in the machine tool art and need no further description.

In operation, the machine is put in operation by closing the heating circuits to the furnaces in the several preheat chambers, and to a heating coil not shown surrounding the dies. This heating coil is movable vertically to make possible lateral insertion and removal of the ingot and workpiece as described in Moore US. Pat. No. 3,698,219. The vacuum pump for the main chamber 38 and the forging chamber 22 is started to produce the desired vacuum. The vacuum door on chamber 54 is closed at this time and no vacuum exists in this chamber.

A workpiece, an ingot W, is placed on the rolls 134 on the carriage 66, the door 64 is closed and a vacuum is drawn in this chamber 54-. A suitable vacuum pump independent of the main pump 136 is provided in order to produce the desired vacuum in a short time. With equal vacuums in chamber 38 and in chamber 54 the door 62 is opened and the carriage 66 is moved out into the chamber 38 in alignment with the jaws 100 and 102 on the carriage. The jaws are then moved into a position for the elements 114 to engage the ingot, FIG. 1, and the jaws are moved into ingot clamping position. By raising the carriage slightly, the ingot will clear the carriage 66 and the latter may be withdrawn into chamber 54. Carriage 70 from chamber 56 is then moved into the position shown in FIG. 3, the ingot is deposited thereon and the carriage 70 is then returned inside the furnace for heating of the ingot.

This procedure of loading the ingot on slide 66 is repeated, vacuum being released in chamber 54 to permit the door 64 to be opened, and another ingot is moved into the main chamber 38. This time the jaws pick up the ingot and transfer itaxially of the chamber into line with either chamber 58 or 60. The carriage from one of these chambers receivesthe ingot, and withdraws it into the furnace within the respective chamber.

This procedure is repeated again until there is an ingot being heated in each of the preheat furnaces. By this time the ingot in chamber 56 is presumably heated to the desired temperature and held at that temperature for the desired time in readiness for forging. The carriage from this chamber then moves the ingot into chamber 38. It is picked up by the jaws and conveyed by the carriage 86 into a position on the die 12 as shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. I. The ingot is released and the forging operation occurs when the heating coils around the dies have added the necessary extra heat for forging.

During this time another ingot may have been placed in chamber 54 and transferred to the furnace in chamber 56. This and the forging operation having been accomplished, the jaws are again moved forward to engage the forged article and remove it from the jaws. The forged article is brought back to be positioned on carriage 66 and then the forged article may be removed through chamber 54. For removing the forged articles from or for positioning the ingot on the carriage 66, there may be a hinged platform with rollers 142 therein in a position to be swung horizontally into line with the rollers 134 on carriage 66.

With a plurality of preheat chambers all communicating with the main vacuum chamber 38 several ingots may be heating at one time so that there will be a minimum of elapsed time between successive forging operations. Thus the number of preheat chambers should be such that no delay occurs by reason of the time required for heating each ingot. The present arrangement permits a sequential positioning of the ingots in the preheat chambers and a similar sequential positioning of these ingots in the forging press without removal of the ingots from the vacuum chamber. In this way, a continuous vacuum is maintained from the time the preheating begins until the forging is completed and the forged article is withdrawn from the press and positioned in the loading and unloading chamber 54.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus described typical embodiments of our invention, that which we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum including an elongated vacuum chamber,

a manipulator longitudinally movable in said chamber,

a forging press at one end of the chamber in alignment with the manipulator,

at least one preheat chamber on one side of and communicating with said vacuum chamber,

a loading chamber on one side of said vacuum chamber and communicating therewith,

a closable gate between the vacuum chamber and the loading chamber,

a slide in each of said preheat chambers and said loading chamber movable linearly at right angles to the manipulator,

a loading door providing access to said loading chamber, and

means for creating a vacuum in said loading chamber independently of the vacuum in the vacuum chamber.

2. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as in claim 1 includvorkpiece engaging means on said manipulator to pick up a workpiece from one of the slides and position it in the press.

3. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as inrclaim l in which the workpiece engaging means includes movable jaws for engaging the workpiece.

4. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as in claim 1 in which the cooperating jaws have two pairs of work engaging elements, one to engage the workpiece prior to forging and the other to engage the workpiece after forging.

5. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as in claim 1 in which the preheat chamber incorporates heating means for heating a workpiece therein.

6. Apparatus for performing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively including a forging press,

a vacuum chamber enclosing said press and having an elongated extension by which the press may be loaded and unloaded,

a main slide in said extension moving laterally toward and away from the press,

a workpiece clamp on said slide for engagement with and release of a workpiece,

a preheat chamber positioned at one side of and communicating with said elongated extension and including means for heating a workpiece in said chamber,

a lateral slide in said chamber and movable to position a workpiece in line with the clamp on the main slide,

a loading chamber positioned at one side of and communicating with said elongated extension,

a vacuum sealing gate between the loading and elongated chambers,

a loading gate at the outer end of the loading chamber through which a workpiece may be positioned in the loading chamber,

a slide in said loading chamber and movable to move a workpiece thereon from the chamber into alignment with the clamp on the main slide, and

means external to the chambers for moving the main slide toward and away from the forging press and to stop the main slide in predetermined relation to the loading slide, the preheat chamber slide and the press for moving a workpiece between these several positions.

7. Apparatus for performing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively as in claim 6 in which the workpiece clamp has two pairs of work engaging jaws one to accommodate the workpiece before forging and the other to accommodate the workpiece after forging.

8. Apparatus for performing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively as in claim 7 in which the pairs of jaws are in alignment one with the other along the line of movement of the main slide.

9. Apparatus for preparing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces succes sively as in claim 6 including means for actuating said clamp, said main slide and said loading and lateral slides externally of the chambers.

10. Apparatus for preparing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively as in claim 6 including means for creating a vacuum in said loading chamber independently of the vacuum in the main chamber. 

1. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum including an elongated vacuum chamber, a manipulator longitudinally movable in said chamber, a forging press at one end of the chamber in alignment with the manipulator, at least one preheat chamber on one side of and communicating with said vacuum chamber, a loading chamber on one side of said vacuum chamber and communicating therewith, a closable gate between the vacuum chamber and the loading chamber, a slide in each of said preheat chambers and said loading chamber movable linearly at right angles to the manipulator, a loading door providing access to said loading chamber, and means for creating a vacuum in said loading chamber independently of the vacuum in the vacuum chamber.
 2. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as in claim 1 including workpiece engaging means on said manipulator to pick up a workpiece from one of the slides and position it in the press.
 3. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as in claim 1 in which the workpiece engaging means includes movable jaws for engaging the workpiece.
 4. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as in claim 1 in which the cooperating jaws have two pairs of work engaging elements, one to engage the workpiece prior to forging and the other to engage the workpiece after forging.
 5. Apparatus for performing a forging operation on successive workpieces in a vacuum as in claim 1 in which the preheat chamber incorporates heating means for heating a workpiece therein.
 6. Apparatus for performing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively including a forging press, a vacuum chamber enclosing said press and having an elongated extension by which the press may be loaded and unloaded, a main slide in said extension moving laterally toward and away from the press, a workpiece clamp on said slide for engagement with and release of a workpiece, a preheat chamber positioned at one side of and communicating with said elongated extension and including means for heating a workpiece in said chamber, a lateral slide in said chamber and movabLe to position a workpiece in line with the clamp on the main slide, a loading chamber positioned at one side of and communicating with said elongated extension, a vacuum sealing gate between the loading and elongated chambers, a loading gate at the outer end of the loading chamber through which a workpiece may be positioned in the loading chamber, a slide in said loading chamber and movable to move a workpiece thereon from the chamber into alignment with the clamp on the main slide, and means external to the chambers for moving the main slide toward and away from the forging press and to stop the main slide in predetermined relation to the loading slide, the preheat chamber slide and the press for moving a workpiece between these several positions.
 7. Apparatus for performing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively as in claim 6 in which the workpiece clamp has two pairs of work engaging jaws one to accommodate the workpiece before forging and the other to accommodate the workpiece after forging.
 8. Apparatus for performing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively as in claim 7 in which the pairs of jaws are in alignment one with the other along the line of movement of the main slide.
 9. Apparatus for preparing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively as in claim 6 including means for actuating said clamp, said main slide and said loading and lateral slides externally of the chambers.
 10. Apparatus for preparing a forging operation in a vacuum on each of a plurality of workpieces successively as in claim 6 including means for creating a vacuum in said loading chamber independently of the vacuum in the main chamber. 